You´re about to graduate from high school, there are plenty of great options locally, but is that enough for you? Suzanne Bhagan has a great article titled _10 Advantages of Getting Your Undergraduate Degree Abroad (Besides Being Cooler Than Your Friends)._ A must read if you are looking for something more than just the usual path to college… I´d like to think of it as a merger between a gap year(s) traveling around and university. International universities give you an added advantage that goes beyond a semester abroad, or a year abroad, it delves into the realm of true and unapologetic immersion. Diving in senses alerted, mind opened, ready for anything type of immersion can seem like something that is only for the extreme.

The world is becoming a smaller place, obtaining an entire degree abroad is not as crazy as it might seem at 18.

Many of the European students I come across are used to traveling to another country to pursue their 1st degree. And in recent years, Americans are starting to catch on the incredible benefits that studying your undergraduate degree abroad can have towards your career.

Summarizing Bhagan´s article I would highlight these 3 advantages:

1. Studying your degree abroad will make you stronger

Living in a different culture, with different laws, and in many cases a different language will force you to grow and become better. You will discover things about yourself, you will start noticing all those things you took for granted, things you thought were so right, you´ll find out there are many ways to tackle a problem. If that wasn´t enough, when you come out of the study abroad mill, you will be a leaner, stronger, and better candidate, in many ways years ahead of all your friends who stayed back home.

2. Going abroad could end up being cheaper

Costs of education have skyrocketed in the US. Not only that but living expenses as well. What I paid for my dorm in the first academic year (8 or 9 months in reality) I would´ve spent in Spain for an entire 12 months. Food in Madrid, makes my meal plan (which was great) seem like a barbaric option. Not only is it cheaper but it tastes better.

3. Soft-skills and those things you can only learn by living

As a foreigner, you learn to become a better and more effective communicator. You learn to play on your strengths and downplay your weaknesses. As you open yourself up to a new way of living, you become more creative and a better problem solver. Living on your own also forces you to become a better decision maker and better time manager. Mom and dad are not there to make sure you get things done or guard your every choice.

There are so many advantages to studying abroad but perhaps the one I always see our students taking part in, is the ability to travel to nearby cities and countries, fully engaging with all a culture has to offer. Studying their degree in Madrid has given many of our students the advantage to travel all over Europe, North Africa, and in some cases even Asia… After all, if you´ve made it this far… why not?

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